To Rewrite the Future
by Sadie Lovegood
Summary: On October 6th 2009, the world saw the future. For 5 students in the Finger Lakes, one can only hope the future isn't certain. Forbidden romance is rekindled, questions are asked, and a devastating crime condemns one who hasn't done anything wrong...yet.
1. Meredith

"**To Rewrite The Future"**

**SUMMARY: **For most of the student attending Chestler College, a remote institution on Keuka Lake, the 137-second-long flash forwards were unremarkable. But for five, the future turns into their worst nightmare as they see themselves in six months time. Two bitter exes see their old flame rekindled. One only sees his future for fifty-two seconds. Another witnesses a terrifying crime. And yet another sees herself committing it. Their only hope lies within the remote possibility that perhaps they can change the future…but can they?

_**RATED T-16 for language and sexuality.**_

* * *

"Supposedly they were our future or something," mumbled a blonde boy standing particularly close to the edge of the dock.

"Dear God I hope not," said the Korean girl next to him. "In my vision, I was writing a twenty-page term paper on Byron…and I hate Byron!"

"Oh yeah? Mine was so boring. I was making soup for the whole two minutes!"

Nearby, a largely-build girl with pale skin and red hair blushed and turned away, nodding her head with shame and annoyance, avoiding eye contact with her friend Peter.

"I really wish they would stop talking about this. It's so damn ridiculous," said Meredith Kennedy.

"You have to tell me, then," said Peter, dressed rather formally for nothing more than a Sunday tryst by the lake, where most of the campus had decided to spend the beautiful mid-fall afternoon. Peter was also pale skinned, but his hair was blonde and fine. "It's obviously disturbing, and it's not going to do any good holding it in, you know."

It was indeed a strange event that took place on October 6th, which was last week. Meredith was walking up the hill towards the science building for a morning seminar when she suddenly blacked out. By the time she woke up, she'd rolled to the bottom of the hill. A car had driven into a street lamp about five-hundred yards away. The first thing she noticed was she wasn't in her room anymore…but it was as if she'd just BEEN there. But she also noted that she didn't seem to be alone in the confusion. Other people were also sprawled out along the hillside, dazed and confused. It was what Meredith had seen that stuck with her since then. It was degrading and impossible. Chestler College was in an isolated part of the state, so news traveled slowly. Only yesterday did the fact that members of the FBI were speculating whether or not the strange supernatural event induced a brief moment of Flash-Forwarding into the future spread to the campus.

"Maybe it will. I…I still think this is all a crock of crap," Meredith scoffed. "I mean, really! We all passed out and saw our future? Who does the government think they're fooling? We weren't born yesterday!"

"Then explain how we saw the things we saw," Peter challenged.

"It's called a DREAM. The subconscious mind purging unneeded information while we're asleep! It happens on a daily basis," Meredith argued.

"Then how is it the dentist who was working on me was a man I'd never seen or been to before…?" Peter asked.

"I once had a dream where I was married to the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, but I've never met the guy!" Meredith defended. "And why are you so eager to believe in these dumb visions anyway? You were having a cavity filled! It's not exactly worth believing in!"

"Please," Peter said. "I've had about eight of those before. Getting a filling is no big deal for me. But still, it's a cool idea when you think about it…seeing the future…"

"It was NOT the future!" Meredith said rather aggressively.

"Then tell me your vision! Tell me WHY you don't want to believe!" Peter insisted.

But before Meredith could open her mouth again, the Korean girl had playfully shoved the blonde boy into the water. The resulting splashes had gotten Peter and Meredith damp. Meredith groaned. Peter was silent, but made a gesture of annoyance.

"Freshmen," she mumbled with resentment. "Now I have to change—"

"—it's getting noisy out here anyway. And…if you're going to tell me about your vision, you might as well tell me in private if it's so bad…" Peter said. Meredith ignored him. The pair got to their feet and began walking down the dock towards land, when suddenly, HE appeared.

Peter noticed that Meredith avoided Patrick Gresock's gaze as their passed each other. No wonder. The two had broken up after a very brief but passionate love affair not too long ago. It was messy, and Meredith later realized she'd been used, and since that day, she resented him to the very core.

"I'll tell you," Meredith sighed as soon as Patrick was out of earshot. Peter stopped in his tracks. "See Patrick just walk by?"

"You obviously did," Peter said.

"In my vision, I was having sex with a man in my room. It was night time, and I couldn't see his face, because he was whispering something in my ear. Something about how he was glad I'd forgiven him, because he loved me more than he loved life. Then…then I felt this immense wave of pleasure—"

"—most would call that orgasm," Peter chimed in. Meredith glared at him and skipped a beat or two before continuing without a word.

"It was as much emotional as it was physical. I'd…I'd never felt so filled to the brim with ecstasy in my life. Then my partner's face came into my line of vision…and it was him," Meredith said, nodding her head towards Patrick, who had his arms flirtageously around a slender girl with mocha skin.

"What?" asked Peter, feeling his heart sink.

"That wasn't the end," Meredith said. "After I saw his face, he smiled and leaned in to kiss me, he thrusted his hips again and I felt more pleasure, but then, there was a bang…a loud bang, as if it was right outside the door. The bang startled Patrick, who fell off the bed onto the floor with a small yelp of surprise. That's when it ended."

"The bang could have been the car that hit the street light," Peter said.

Meredith shook her head. "That's not the point! Peter, I'm having sex with my ex, who I hate more than anything!"

"Better than a late-night emergency dental appointment," Peter argued. "At least you're getting laid…"

"…spoken like a true straight male," Meredith muttered.

"I'm bisexual, remember?" Peter said jokingly, winking. Meredith groaned.

"But I'm going to prove once and for all these stupid dreams are nothing BUT dreams," Meredith said.

"How?" asked Peter.

"If these were really visions of the future, then Patrick would've seen the exact same thing I would have, right? If I ask him, and he saw something else, we'll know for sure it's all crap!" Meredith said, proud of herself for sounding so smart.

"But how are you going to ask him. Juts waltz on up and say, 'Hey Patrick! Did you happen to see us having sex in your vision?'" Peter asked.

"I'm going to figure THAT out later," Meredith mumbled to herself, looking in the direction of Patrick one more time before following Peter up the hill once again.


	2. Tess

The world was a terrible, cruel, and trying place. Tess knew that.

Every Sunday she would kneel in front of the altar at St. Elizabeth's Church, the only decent church within twenty miles of Chestler College, and pray to whichever saint or god could hear her to grant her life just a little happiness. Now, it used to be she just prayed for trivial things, like for Bradley Joseph to finally notice her despite her odd appearance, not unlike that nerdy look of Velma from those old _Scooby Doo_ cartoons. Once she prayed for her father to forgive her for having sex outside of the sacred bonds of marriage (even though she had been given drugs and was rendered defenseless at that party).

But today she prayed frantically for salvation. That she would never come into contact with her…OR him…again.

"Tess?"

The voice made Tess nearly jump out of the pew. It was him. Bradley.

"Oh…hi," Tess mumbled. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't religious…"

Bradley shrugged, his light blue eyes glinting with a realm of mischievousness. "I'm bored, so I figured I'd wait for you to finish up praying and then see if you wanted to go swimming."

"Are you insane? It's too cold!" Tess sighed. "Besides, you can't rush these things."

"Look, you're my next door neighbor and best friend," Bradley said. "You saw me through my good and bad times, and I've seen you through yours. So trust me when I say this: Jesus isn't going to take back what you saw," he said.

Tess felt her heart skip a beat. If only he knew…maybe he'd be praying too.

"Maybe you could tell me what you saw. I told you everything, weird as it is…" Bradley continued.

"I TOLD you what my vision was," Tess said. "I was in my room crying over an F I received on a test," she mumbled.

"I know you're into your grades and all that, Miss Future Senator," Bradley said. "And I'm probably just going to end up a pimp or something, my ways with the ladies and all…"

"Yeah, people still don't get why we're friends at all," Tess reminded him. "You've had more women since being here then I will have in my whole lifetime."

"Yeah but all of those faceless blondes won't equal The King of Luxembourg when you meet and steal his heart, I'm sure," Bradley joked. Tess shushed him. They were still in a church, after all.

"They don't have a King, they have a Grand Duke," Tess informed him.

"Back to the point," Bradley said. "A, I think you're lying about your vision, and B, even if you weren't, it's one F! At least you didn't foresee yourself falling off a cliff!"

"Why do you think I'm lying?" asked Tess. "You only saw HALF a vision!"

"Yeah, I think I was drunk and passed out halfway through it. It was so vague anyway…I was stumbling down the hall, and I felt not only dazed but pissed out of my mind. But, and here's where I think you're lying, because if we really did see the future, you'd have seen me too. I saw you standing at the end of the hall crying…or at least I think it was you, my vision was blurring."

_It was me alright…_

"Anyway, I heard a bang…I think you slammed a door, and out I went, go figure. My vision wasn't even a whole minute!" Bradley said.

"I saw no one but myself," Tess said. "Now, let me pray, please," she said, counting her rosary.

Bradley rolled his eyes. "Common, Tess! If not swimming, what about getting a drink or two?"

"We're twenty," Tess replied coldly. " Besides, I have work after this. I'm meeting a student. I'll come over to your room later, but please leave me alone now…I have some repenting to do…"

Bradley groaned after a moment's pause, then got to his feet. "Fine. Catch you later, Tessinator."

With that, Bradley walked up the aisle and left Tess alone in the cathedral. She looked up at the large statue of Mother Mary glaring down at her, as if to shame her. "You terrible, horrible girl…he is your best friend…and you love him…how could you?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Tess cried out. "I DON'T KNOW!! I won't, I swear, Holy Mother of God!! I will not let that happen…"

* * *

_The fury is welling up inside her heart as she fingers the tool in her hand. It is cold and hard, like her heart. No turning back now. It was time…he was going to pay. She is very hesitant. The consequences far outweigh the satisfaction…but does she care? Not now. He is going to pay. Any minute now…in her heart she knows she cannot change it. She knows it is going to happen now. Three…two.._

_Here he comes…she can see him clearly. He is stumbling. Out of breath. Angry, but at the same time, intoxicated enough not to care about his feelings. She cocks the gun and points silently at him and mumbles under her breath, "You dirty son of a bitch…you son of a—"_

_Her finger presses the trigger. The bang echoes throughout the otherwise empty hall. From behind a closed door nearby, it sounds like someone has fallen off a bed. _

"…_bitch."_

* * *

"So…you saw someone shoot Bradley Joseph…in the HEAD?!"

Eileen nodded silently.

"And you don't k now who it was?!"

Eileen shook her head, again, silently.

"If you saw this person's face in a crowd, could you point it out?"

Eileen nodded.

"Boy or girl?"

Eileen hesitated. "…girl, I think."

"You THINK?!"

Shauna Mill paced the floor, circling around the heavy-set, dark-eyed girl slouching in her swivel-chair. "Damn, and I thought lying naked, confused in some strange bed in a room smelling like marijuana was weird…"

Eileen nodded. "Okay, okay, it was a girl. But she has to be an upperclassman, I don't know her."

"We've been at school a month, we don't know that many people yet," Shauna nodded.

"She had a very distinct look…like she'd been betrayed by someone…probably Bradley," she muttered softly. She was still extremely shaken by what she'd seen. The girl muttered something about paying a son of a bitch, shooting Bradley down where he stood, then standing, staring at his body, the gun still being held where the kick back had forced it.

"Well, Bradley IS somewhat of a man whore," Shauna muttered.

"But…she KILLED him!" Eileen said. "And I'm the only one who saw it!" Flashes of courtroom scenes, interrogations, and handcuffs flew by her vision, just like when Papaw was arrested…and she did NOT want to go there again.

"Eileen, maybe it's better you forget about it for now…you have a lot of school work on your plate right now, and—"

"—oh right, I have a meeting with my Japanese TA in five minutes anyway…" Eileen said, leaping out of the chair and grabbing her things, shoving them into a bag.

Shauna sighed softly. "Just don't let it get to your head. We don't even know if these visions are real."

Eileen went to open the door, looked back at her roommate, and nodded subtly before closing the door behind her and heading out into the street.

So many people…who else saw it, if anyone else saw it? Was she the only witness? Could she do anything about it? Even worse…should she go to the police and turn in the assailant? But, she hadn't done anything WRONG yet, so she'd be turning in an innocent victim. Exactly how much should she bank on these dreams anyway?

She stumbled into the language building just as it began to rain lightly. She found her Japanese classroom and sat down at her usual desk. The TA wasn't there yet.

A few seconds passed, and Eileen soon began to realize how much sleep she'd lost over seeing what she'd 'seen.' She felt herself begin dozing off…

"Hey, are you too tried to work? Because we can reschedule--?"

Eileen looked up at her new TA and felt her heart stop. She fought back a scream and instead bit her bottom lip and shook her head.

"Alright then, let's get to work. By the way, the old TA dropped out last week. I'm the new Japanese TA, Tess Newbury…"

It was her.


End file.
